Much too little, much too late. De-certifying back when it became apparent the NHL would institute a lockout instead of negotiating would have been a smart preemptive move. Now it would just look like the desperation it is.

The only way out is leave the union and the CBA process. Start over. Owners are not budging. Pensions, guaranteed long term contracts, and greed is killing the league. The owners will pay what they are willing to, just like the master always has. They are the 1%, we the sheep. So we take it up the pie hole, what’s new?

shotzongoal - Nov 25, 2012 at 11:20 AM

For the NHLPA to decertify now would be like throwing gasoline on the fire. The NHL would surely cancel the remaining season!

mrchainbluelightning - Nov 25, 2012 at 12:17 PM

You sound like you think there is any hope of a season
That’s cute

shotzongoal - Nov 25, 2012 at 7:11 PM

I initially replied to you accidentally at the bottom of this page and whether it’s cute or not yes, yes I do think there is hope for a season.

The reason why decertifying will force a deal is because pro sports bylaws cannt operate without a CBA, otherwise they are in violation of antitrust laws.

id4joey - Nov 25, 2012 at 1:32 PM

Hmm! The question is, Will the threat of certifying force a deal this year? Man, I hope so, but, something tells me the NHL’s law firm will start throwing legal motions left and right which will eventually lead to the cancellation of the whole season.

stakex - Nov 25, 2012 at 1:56 PM

If the players were going to decertify, they should have done it by now. While Daly obviously doesn’t want this to happen and is going to make it sound awful (it could be), hes mostly right that it will be a fairly long process. The odds of there being a season if the players decertify now are very slim and none if the owners don’t fold strait away.

I know a lot of the cynics around here already think the season is completely lost, but thats not the case. Both sides are much closer to a deal now then they were a few weeks ago, no matter what the PR spin from both camps might say. That doesn’t mena a deal will get done, but its there… and decertifying will all but kill that.

It should also be noted that there are a lot of possible downsides for the players in the process. If the owners don’t give in right away, and this goes to the courts… bad things can happen for both sides.

blomfeld - Nov 25, 2012 at 2:23 PM

I agree … something “has” to happen now over the coming 7-10 days or else it probably will be over for this year … as for decertification, at this point in time it would do nothing but make that an instant reality … and Fehr will be finished in the process no doubt …

shotzongoal - Nov 25, 2012 at 2:37 PM

I’m not sure how “cute” it is but yes there will be a shortened season. There are finally meaningful negations that have happened and negations are going on in the background. In any negations, what you really want is not always the first thing you ask for and what you first ask for is what you will give away first. For example the sides are now at 50/50% but the first offers submitted were for 43/57%. Initially both sides were adamant about existing contracts. Now their only $182M apart.

One of the NHL biggest concerns is the length to the contract. The NHLPA wants a 5 year deal because they would like to renegotiate the CBA during the 100 anniversary season. Why? Because they feel they will have more leverage. The NHL originally asked for a seven year agreement. This point has stayed in the background. Also pushed in the background are the contractual issues. NHLPA is very concerned with this issue but did not go into detail in their proposal. And of course the newest issue is the NHLPA proposing that player’s contracts never decreasing from the previous year’s dollar amount.

How does it end? The players get most or all of the $182M make whole issue and claim a victory. The owners get a no strings attached 50/50 split and claim a victory. Players and owners split the contractual issues and both claim a victory. The term is moved to 6 years and both claim victory. This is important; the NHLPA’s last proposal will be the basis for the deal, a face saving gesture for the players. What we end up with a CBA that has no clear winner in which both side are unhappy. A successful deal

id4joey - Nov 25, 2012 at 3:01 PM

blomfeld, didn’t I already post all of the above? Maybe I was dreaming….

shotzongoal - Nov 25, 2012 at 4:40 PM

I don’t know if you did or not because I skip over and never read any of your or your dissociative identity elf’s posts! Sorry!

if anything this lockout has given us a lot of laughs. Go team! My optimism for a shortened season is no less than it was back in October, however, it blows my mind that the players haven’t given up more to save their salaries. Initially I thought the season would have started much sooner, as in October. That came and went. Then there was the blomfeld consipiracy theory, and I was hopeful, but that came and went. Now, I just don’t know when it’s going to start, but, I’m hoping for the best and expecting the worse. Can a shortened season start in Jan and extend into May? I hope so, but, only if the players cave in to the demands of the owners.

Joey I too, am still standing on the platform waiting for the train of hope for a shortened season as you mention back in 95 they started the season on Jan 20 and had 26 teams play a 48 game schedule. So friends don’t board the train of despair and if you have already boarded it, jump off and roll as there is plenty time left to strike a deal. Maybe after the holidays and a couple more missed checks we will have hockey, now wouldn’t that be a nice present.